Trump echoes Russian propaganda, deepens US‑Ukraine rift
The Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter describes the current situation as unprecedented, stating that the United States has given in to Russian propaganda. Meanwhile, Svenska Dagbladet warns that Americans are no longer trustworthy.
Amanda Sokolnicki, writing in the Swedish press, questions whether Russian propaganda has ever been as effective as it has in the past 24 hours. She emphasizes that the United States has succumbed to Russian influence for the first time in history.
Amanda Sokolnicki highlights that Russia's influence peaked on Wednesday when U.S. President Donald Trump closely echoed Russian disinformation, claiming that Ukraine initiated the war and that President Volodymyr Zelensky is a dictator refusing to hold elections.
Growing tensions between the USA and Ukraine
A commentator for "Dagens Nyheter" notes that Trump, who encouraged his supporters to storm the Capitol after losing power, concluded from his conversation with Russian leader Vladimir Putin that "the most important thing for Ukraine now is the development of democracy."
At the same time, she recalls that the Trump administration demanded U.S. participation in Ukraine's natural resources. "Not in exchange for security guarantees (for Ukraine), but so that Americans can recover the money they provided for Ukraine's defense," she notes and assesses that "the goals of the Americans are starting to eerily resemble those of the Russians."
Karin Eriksson from the same newspaper expresses concern that if Zelensky obstructs Trump's ambitions, he may be forced to step aside. She draws a connection to Russia's efforts to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election, recalling that Putin denied any involvement and, during the 2018 summit in Helsinki with Trump, asserted that there was no reason to doubt the Kremlin's claims.
Eriksson notes that Trump was more interested in investigating Joe Biden's ties to Ukraine than in the Russian aspect of the investigation. "In the summer of 2019, Trump tried to pressure the newly elected President Zelensky," she notes. According to the columnist, Trump used the issue of Ukraine as a weapon in his fight to return to the White House.
Eriksson points out that voters responded positively to criticism of U.S. support for Ukraine throughout the campaign. She argues that Trump's approach is purely transactional, with little regard for loyalty to allies.
Meanwhile, Svenska Dagbladet argues that the United States can no longer be considered a reliable ally. It stresses that those who support freedom, justice, and security must now stand with Europe. In a world where stability is increasingly uncertain, there is no room for confusion or despair.
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